


The Island House

by The_ARBiter



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Almost Reader-Insert, Destiny Islands (Kingdom Hearts), Drinking, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Lemony goodness, Multi, No Proofreading We Die Like Men, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Polyamory, Say goodbye to your ovaries, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Swearing, slight AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-05-10
Packaged: 2019-04-04 12:51:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14020626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_ARBiter/pseuds/The_ARBiter
Summary: Hanna never expected to stay in Destiny Islands forever. The plan was to take-off on a raft, see new sights, have adventures. We all know how that turned out.Three years after Kairi returns to the Islands, Kairi and Hanna have a new life in a gorgeous house by the sea. A house that feels more empty everyday. Will Sora and Riku ever come home?Prepare for drama, intrigue, and smutty goodness.





	1. Falling Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanna and Kairi have been living peacefully on Destiny Islands for a few years now in a beautiful home they built by the sea. They've been waiting for Sora and Riku to return, but so far, no luck. Just when Kairi has made a life-altering decision, two stars fall from the sky.
> 
> Or, In Which Riku and Sora have Terrible Timing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Welcome to my first fanfic. I'm a writer, and I've always LOVED fanfiction, but I've never written anything of my own. Or, at least, nothing I've posted. But I was recently inspired after reading minervamouze's KH fics (which you should go read RIGHT NOW), and decided to finally post something. So, here we are.
> 
> A few notes to get started:  
> As the tags imply, this story is a slight AU. Hanna is a friend the trio grew up with, and she disappeared with the islands. When Destiny Islands returned, along with Kairi, Hanna was the only other one who remembered Sora and Riku (for reasons we'll get into later). This fic will incorporate all the games pretty faithfully EXCEPT for DDD, because...yeah. What even was that game? There will be some story elements from DDD incorporated in this, but only a few. Also (and perhaps most importantly) I've increased the gap time between the end of KH2's conflicts and when Sora and Riku finally return. When the story starts, Kairi, Sora, and Hanna are 18, and Riku is 19. When life gives you lemons, you heavily adjust the timeline to make sure nothing creepy happens between children.
> 
> Without further adieu, I present to you Chapter 1. Beware spoilers for the franchise (obviously), and note that there are no lemons in this first chapter. But we'll get there, I promise. ;)

### Falling Stars

She would never be sure of what it was that drew her to the beach that evening: she just knew she was grateful for it.  


The day had started like any other: Hanna woke early to the sound of her alarm, a soft groan escaping her lips as she fumbled with her phone. She managed to turn off the alarm without opening her eyes, but she knew she was only prolonging the inevitable. Slowly, she peeled her eyelids open and took in the morning light as it cautiously slipped through her curtains. She gingerly pulled her legs out from under her mass of blankets and touched her feet to the plush white rug, taking a moment to collect her sleepy thoughts. She could hear Kairi fumbling around in the kitchen, most likely preparing bottles of water for their run. Mornings on their island were generally pretty quiet affairs, with only a few birds chirping in the early hours and the sound of the ocean waves in the distance. Kairi always said that was why she wanted to move out there, but Hanna knew better.  


They were both waiting for something. For a couple of someones, actually. And if Sora and Riku truly were returning to Destiny Islands one day, then they would certainly end up here, on the little island where they had all once played as children. It had cost an arm and a leg to buy the private property, but living with a princess definitely had some perks--especially when it came to finances. They were able to build a lovely house on a hill overlooking the sea, though, admittedly, Hanna had always thought it was too large for just the two of them. But she never said a word about it to Kairi. They both knew who the two guest rooms were for.  


Hanna stretched her arms high above her head. The sun was just starting to rise outside her window, and she stood and followed the view out onto her small balcony. The sea always brought a cool breeze at this time of day, but Hanna didn’t mind. It helped her wake up, especially on mornings where she could sit and sip a cup of coffee in one of her patio chairs. There would be no time for it today, though, she thought to herself. Kairi was surely dressed and ready for their morning jog, and it was dangerous to leave that girl hanging: especially when it came to early morning fitness. So, Hanna begrudgingly left the comfort of her balcony and pulled herself together.  


She met Kairi in the foyer a few minutes later, dressed in her customary black leggings and loose tank top. Her roommate wore a similar outfit, though she didn’t bundle herself into a hoodie like Hanna always did. She was slipping on her tennis shoes when Hanna arrived, a grin immediately spreading across her face.  


“Good morning, Bananas!” she said cheerfully, standing-up from the bottom step of their dark oak staircase.  


“Morning, Queenie.” Hanna yawned into her sleeve. She bent forward to slip her own shoes on, taking a moment to stretch her back and touch her toes. “How’d you sleep?”  


“Better than you, I’m guessing,” Kairi took-in her roommate’s red eyes and slow movements, “Another nightmare?”  


“The same one,” Hanna responded, slowly going through her stretches. Kairi joined her, knowing better than to force Hanna to talk about whatever it was that plagued her dreams last night. Though, Kairi thought to herself, she probably already knew what it was. She sighed, feeling her own heart clench briefly at the thought of their friends. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Kairi was starting to doubt they would ever return. Her correspondence with King Mickey and their comrades in Radiant Garden proved fruitless every time: no one had seen or heard from Sora and Riku in years.  


But Hanna was a better person than her, Kairi mused with a sad smile. And that was why her nightmares continued long after Kairi’s had faded away. Hanna was still holding on to hope. She still had something to lose.  


“Ready?”  


The redhead snapped out of her reverie and handed Hanna her purple waterbottle with a nod. “Your turn to lead.”  


Hanna smiled and slipped her headphones into her ears. She shuffled through her music for a moment, looking for the perfect song to wake her up and get the day started. She finally settled on “Middle” by Jimmy Eat World, and signaled for Kairi to turn on her Bluetooth buds. She smiled as the drums started, bobbing her head in time to the beat. “You know how I love this song.”  


Hanna smiled and slipped her phone into her pocket, “The song of our people, yes. Shall we?”  


"Let’s shall.”

X X X

Despite getting next to no sleep, Hanna found herself leading them all over the island. They jogged down the cliff toward the sea, running on the beach until they hit the dock. They turned, jogged up the small hills, and past the giant old tree. Kairi kept her head down as they ran past The Secret Place--Hanna, as always, watched the nearly hidden entrance for any sign of activity. As always, it remained untouched, as it had for almost three years now.  


They made their way to the top of the peak on the far side of the island. Kairi reached over and tapped Hanna’s elbow, gesturing with her head to the cliff. Hanna nodded and followed her, matching her slowing pace until they reached a comfortable walk. They stopped at the very edge and plopped onto the grass, swinging their legs over the side and leaning back on their hands to sip their water as the sun finished it’s climb into the morning sky.  


“Where did all that come from?” Kairi gasped after guzzling her water.  


Hanna laid on her back, setting her bottle down. “All what?”  


“That run! We haven’t run so far in, like, ever. Especially without me forcing you to do it,” Kairi bumped Hanna playfully with her bottle.  


Hanna swatted her away with a sad smile. She took a deep breath. Kairi took another sip of water. “I’m really going to miss you. That’s all.” Hanna finally said softly.  


Kairi curled her legs up and leaned onto her knees, staring out at the ocean, “I’m sorry.”  


“Please don’t be.”  


“I can’t help it. I’m leaving you here all alone, in OUR big house…”  


Hanna at up and gently rested a hand on Kairi’s shoulder, “I won’t be alone, Kai. Sora and Riku will come back.”  


Kairi smiled, but said nothing.  


“Plus, we can text all the time, and talk on the phone. You’ll get sick of hearing from me, I promise.”  


Kairi nodded, turning to look at her friend, “Promise?”  


Hanna reached out and grabbed one of Kairi’s hands. Softly, she drew a star with her finger across the back of Kairi’s hand, “Promise.”  


Kairi squeezed her hand and willed her eyes not to cry.  


Hanna stood and stretched, looking out toward their house, “Should we head back?”  


“You go ahead. I think I want to enjoy the view a bit longer. I don’t have many more Destiny Island sunsets left.”  


Hanna watched her roommate for a moment, then nodded and continued home.

X X X

Hanna practiced her yoga in the living room, finished her bottle of water, and rinsed off in the shower before Kairi returned home. Whatever Kairi might have been contemplating, she kept to herself, and Hanna didn’t push her. She just continued her day as usual; breakfast in the kitchen, coffee in the backyard, gardening, a bit of office work before and after lunch. Kairi was mostly absent, spending most of her day running errands on the other islands and corresponding with the King. Hanna began putting a list together of all the things she wanted to do with Kairi before she left, but otherwise tried not to think about it. There was no sense in spending Kairi’s last few days crying and feeling miserable. She wanted to enjoy their roommateship for as long as possible: there would be plenty of time to grieve when Kairi wasn’t around to catch her.  


Hanna was just about to start dinner when Kairi suddenly appeared in the kitchen. She was silently watching, rubbing her arm nervously and acting not at all Kairi-like. Hanna stopped chopping vegetables and locked eyes with the anxious redhead, “What’s up, sis?”  


“Do you want to go on a walk?”  


Hanna checked her watch: the sun would be setting soon. “Sure, what did you have in mind?”  


“I feel like going down to the beach to sit for a bit.”  


Hanna raised her eyebrows. Kairi seldom went near the dock by choice: it reminded her too much of the night the Island fell into darkness. Hanna nodded, watching Kairi relax a bit. She wordlessly walked out of the kitchen, Hanna following behind her, and they made their way outside and back down to the beach.  


The sun was just finishing it’s descent, painting the sky lavender as it fell towards the sea. Kairi and Hanna walked to the shore and Hanna immediately look off her shoes. She dipped her toes into the cooling water and sighed.  


“God, it’s always the perfect temperture.”  


Kairi nodded silently, bending down to pick up a few shells. She slipped them into her pockets while Hanna continued to wiggle her toes in the soft, wet sand. Kairi straightened and held out her hand. “For your collection.”  


Hanna turned. In Kairi’s hand lay a single heart-shaped shell. It was a very light, pearly pink, and no bigger than Kairi’s thumb. Hanna took it and smiled, slipping it into her own pocket. “It’s perfect. Thanks, Kai.”  


Kairi smiled and looked out over the water. She froze.  


Hanna followed her gaze. Two icy blue balls of light were falling from the sky towards the water. “Stars?”  


Kairi shook her head, eyes wide.  


“It’s them.”

 

X X X

Sora was the first to surface. He shook the water from his hair like a shaggy dog, and Hanna couldn’t help but giggle as his spikes immediately bounced back into formation. She glanced at Kairi: she was smiling again, but hadn’t moved. She looked like a statue. Suddenly, she started waving, and shouted, “Sora! Riku!”  


Hanna turned back just in time to see Sora and Riku frantically swimming towards where she and Kairi both stood. Sora made it to the shallows and started sprinting/stumbling to Kairi, but Hanna had other ideas. Kairi watched as Hanna tackled Sora into the waves, knocking him firmly on his behind. He stared at her. Then, suddenly, he realized who she was.  


“Hanna? Oh, my god.” He bear-hugged her with all of his strength, then pulled back to look at her some more, “You look so different!”  


Hanna laughed and ruffled his hair, “You’re one to talk! You’re all grown-up!”  


He grinned, looking past her then to see Kairi smiling down at them. Hanna might have felt snubbed, if she wasn’t already looking over Sora’s shoulder to watch Riku slowly approach. Now he certainly had changed: his silver hair fell well past his impressively defined shoulders, and Hanna found herself staring at his bulging muscles until she was sure her face was a tomato. She pulled herself off Sora and paused, letting him continue past her to finally reunite with Kairi while she tried to find her words. Finally, Hanna ran.  


Riku had just enough time to brace himself as Hanna crashed into him, stumbling backwards a step. He barely managed to bring his arms around her as she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, pulling him impossibly close. She was so overwhelmed by his return that she didn’t notice the way he stiffened in her arms.  


“Riku…” she whispered, crying on to his shoulder.  


“Hanna?”  


She pulled back to look him in the eyes. He studied her intensely, not recognizing the grown woman before him. When the island had fallen into darkness all those years ago, back when the nightmare started, they had been children. He was young enough that she was almost his height, something she had bragged about often. Now, he was certain he’d tower over her, and her body...well, she certainly wasn’t a child. He could feel every curve of her through his wet clothes. Was his face red? Why was she holding him so closely?  


“It’s so been so long...I can’t believe you’re finally home.”  


He slowly relaxed, accepting that the woman in front of him was the same girl he used to play house with. Something dark in the back of his mind whispered about what it would be like to play “house” with her now, but he focused on returning her embrace. “It’s about time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there it is! Thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Again, go read minervamouze's stories, and give them some love. I'm going to try and post one update a week for now, usually on Sunday or Monday. See you next week! xoxo


	2. Burning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora and Riku are back, but things have changed. Kairi and Hanna have built a life for themselves and Riku isn't sure where he fits in.
> 
> Or, In Which Sora and Kairi are Adorable and Riku is Kind of a Dick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some KaiRiku friendship fluff, with a dash of SoKai, and the beginnings of some steamy Riku lovin'. Enjoy. <3

### Burning

Riku sat in Kairi and Hanna’s kitchen, staring into a coffee mug. Hanna was attempting to teach Sora how to make homemade pizza, but so far he had only managed to cover himself--and most of the island countertop--with flour. Hanna had some streaked across her cheek and for some reason Riku was struggling not to wipe it off with his hand. He shook his head. Something was seriously wrong with him. I mean, this was Hanna. They used to make mud pies together, and color in their treehouse until their parents forced them to come home for dinner. This was the girl that hid behind Kairi when they’d watched scary movies as youths, the girl who’d cried for hours after Sora’s hamster had died. The girl he’d--  


“You ok?”  


Kairi’s voice interrupted his thoughts. She was standing next to him with a pair of scissors in her hand and an inquisitive look on her face. Riku glanced at Sora and Hanna: they were still laughing over their pizzas. Kairi followed his gaze, her voice dropping to a soft whisper, “Let’s go take care of this hair situation.”  


He nodded and followed her quietly out of the kitchen. They walked upstairs and were immediately greeted by the hum of a washer and dryer. Kairi continued on to her bedroom, but Riku paused for a moment to take in the sound. How long had it been since he really did laundry? The past few years had been one constant adventure--it’s not like he could just stop at a laundromat, and he and Sora both had learned to make do on the road. The shower he had taken upon arriving at this house was surreal. He voiced concern over using too much hot water, but Kairi just shook her head, smiling sadly. Civilian life would take some getting used to.  


He looked down at his clothes: a pair of Hanna’s baggy gym shorts, and a large t-shirt Kairi liked to sleep in. It had taken the girls a while to find anything that fit. Sora was a bean pole and fit into the girls’ clothes easily--of course, Riku and Kairi picked on him for it. But Riku was a full-grown man, and the fact that the girls had found anything for him was nothing short of a miracle. Still, he hoped that his own clothes would be dry, soon. He needed some familiarity.  


He walked slowly into Kairi’s room. He’d been in such a hurry earlier, trying not to drip seawater all over her carpet, that he hadn’t taken the time to look around. He took the room in now, though: blush walls, white carpet, surprisingly feminine. A large canopy bed sat centered on one wall, a dresser and a vanity on another. An elegant white bench sat at the foot of the bed with shoes strewn all around it. The gray chair in the corner was covered in clothes. Closer inspection revealed a skateboard leaning against the dresser, and a surfboard tucked in a corner. Ok, that was more like it.  


Kairi walked out of the bathroom and watched Riku for a moment. He was looking at the photos around her vanity: a few from their joint childhood, but mostly photos of her with high school friends or Hanna. He was frowning.  


She approached nonchalantly and pulled open a drawer, bumping him away. She dug through it until she found the brush she was looking for, then pulled out the stool for him. “You. Sit.”  


He looked at her, then obeyed, “Am in trouble?” he said, eyeing the scissors in her hand.  


She cocked her head, contemplating, “Maybe. I haven’t decided. Face me.” She handed him a towel to drape over his shoulders.  


He turned, flinching as she reached out to grab a lock of his hair.  


She rolled her eyes, “Ok, this is going to be a lot harder if you won’t let me touch your hair. Like, impossible.”  


“Sorry,” he muttered.  


“Sit up straight.”  


He pulled himself up into his full height. Even sitting down he was a giant--he could look her square in the eyes! Well, only when he pulled his bangs out of his face. Kairi bumped his knee with her own and he reluctantly spread his legs wider so she could stand between them. She didn’t have him as nervous as Hanna, but he was still uncomfortable being so close to her. At least she had a baggy hoodie on, otherwise he’d basically have to stare straight at her chest while she took in the mess that was his hair.  


“How short do you want it?”  


He shrugged and pointed to his chin, “No longer than here.”  


Kairi nodded and pulled open another drawer, and grabbing a box of hair clips and bobby pins. She sat the scissors on the vanity beside the box, then grabbed the comb and gripped it in her mouth. She picked up the brush and set to work untangling the knots he’d already managed to get in his hair.  


He grimaced, “Are you intentionally making this hurt?”  


She pulled the comb from her mouth, “Yep. I’ve decided that you ARE in trouble.” She slipped it back into her teeth.  


“Great. Thanks.”  


“You’re welcome.” Kairi sat the brush down and grabbed the comb from her teeth, squinting. Riku couldn’t help but stare at her: since when was Kairi focused? She grabbed a handful of hairclips and started pinning back strands of hair as she combed. “These layers are a nightmare.”  


“Why am I in trouble?” he rolled his eyes.  


“Because you took so long getting back here.”  


“To your room?”  


It was her turn to roll her eyes, “No, stupid. To the Islands. To us.” She gestured to the photo of her and Hanna Riku had been staring at before, the selfie of them at prom.  


He subconsciously turned his head to avoid her eyes, but she grabbed his chin and turned him back. He expected to see anger on her face, but she still seemed focused on his hair. “I came as fast as I could…” he muttered.  


“I know. That doesn’t make it suck less. I had to graduate without you guys. We got our driver’s licenses without you. We--”  


“I’m painfully aware of what I missed, Kai,” he snapped.  


“Hey, don’t get shitty with me,” she pointed the comb in his face. There was anger in her eyes for a second, then she sighed and pulled back, focusing once again on his hair, “some days it was...hell. Waiting for you and Sora was hell, Ri.”  


He almost looked away again, but caught himself, “I know. I’m sorry. I’d understand if you girls aren’t happy to see us. Especially me.”  


Kairi rolled her eyes again, “Well OBVIOUSLY we’re happy you’re home. Especially Hanna. I don’t think she’s physically capable of being angry.” Kairi used the comb to section a piece of hair, gripping it between two fingers. She slipped the comb back in her mouth and grabbed the scissors.  


Snip snip, and the first strands fell.  


“She doesn’t know, then.”  


Kairi met his gaze for a second. She didn’t answer. She sectioned another lock.  


Snip snip.  


“How much DOES she know, Kai?”  


Kairi took the comb out of her mouth to section another piece, “She has a...general outline. I told her what happened to me, specifically.”  


“What about me?”  


“Not my story to tell. She knows that you and Sora fought, and that we lost you for a while. Again, not my story.”  


Riku shut his eyes, relieved.  


Snip snip.  


“Don’t wait too long.”  


He opened his eyes. Kairi was finishing his bangs. “For what?”  


Snip snip snip.  


“To tell her yourself. Otherwise Sora might blab, and who knows what he’d say. Face the mirror.”  


Riku did as he was told. He looked into the mirror and took himself in. His face was so hard compared to Sora’s, so sharp and defined. He looked angry, he thought to himself.  


“Chin up,” she instructed. She ran her comb through a section of hair. He heard the scissors working.  


“What would I even say to her…”  


“The truth, Riku. It’s your story. You have to OWN it.” She paused, meeting his eyes in the mirror, “I had a hard time telling her mine, at first.” she said softly.  


“How do you mean?”  


Kairi looked away, but he could tell she wasn’t really looking at his hair, “My whole story, every moment I spent off the island, I was the damsel in distress. I was dead, or I was kidnapped, or I was just plain useless. I should have been stronger.”  


She rested a hand on his shoulder, and he covered it with his own.  


“You’re the strongest person I know, Kai. You’re the reason Sora and I survived everything that happened. It was your letter that reached us, and your light that led us home. You have nothing to be ashamed of.”  


She smiled, shaking her head, “Thank you, Riku. That really does mean a lot to me. But, that’s my point. I made peace with those things. I DEALT with them. And I owe Hanna for that…”  


The rest of the haircut was quiet, the only sounds being Kairi’s scissors and the hum of the dryer in the distance. Riku glanced at her photos at first, but eventually his eyes drifted shut. She felt him relax slightly on the stool, almost leaning back into her as she finished touching-up the back of his head.  


“Riku,” she whispered.  


He grunted.  


“Promise me you’ll REALLY come back, ok?”  


He blinked his eyes open, meeting her gaze once again in the mirror, “I’m right here, Kai.”  


“Physically, yeah. But I need you to come back all the way. Ok? Hanna and Sora and I NEED you. Whatever you have to do to deal with all that’s happened, do it. Promise me you will.”  


Not only was Kairi capable of being focused, now she could be serious, too? Riku smiled sadly. He’d missed everything.  


“Promise.”  


She held her pinky out in front of his face, her own face stern. He reached up and wrapped his pinky around hers.  


“Good. What do you think?”  


He startled, suddenly seeing himself in the mirror. Gone was the wild hair that trailed all the way down his back, a constant reminder of his suffering and betrayal. Now, two locks of hair were long enough to frame his face, and that was it. Everything else was delightfully short, even the choppy bangs Kairi had feathered across his forehead. He ruffled a few spots with his hands in disbelief. “When did you learn to cut hair like this?”  


Kairi smiled proudly, “I worked at a salon for a little while senior year. Like it?”  


Riku scoffed, “Obviously. It looks great, Kai. Thank you.”  


She nodded and pulled the towel off. She dumped the trimmings in her bathroom trash, but made no moves to clean the rest of her mess. Riku raised his eyebrows.  


She shrugged, “I’ll clean it later.”  


He smirked, crossing his arms, “Poor Hanna. You must be a TOTAL handful.”  


Kairi covered her chest in mock surprise, “Excuse you! I’m a GREAT roommate.”  


“Brag much?”  


Riku and Kairi turned. Hanna was leaning in Kairi’s doorway, smirking. Her eyes widened.  


“Holy crap.”  


Kairi moved aside as Hanna approached. Hanna reached her hands out and ran them through Riku’s hair, carefully turning his face in her palms. “Kairi you did such a good job! He looks gorgeous!”  


Kairi hid a smile behind her hand as Hanna and Riku’s faces turned red.  


“I, uh, his hair! His HAIR looks gorgeous,” Hanna said, trying to recover. She pulled her hands away too soon for Riku’s liking.  


“Thanks,” he said as levelly as he could. Kairi playfully raised her eyebrows at him, a knowing smile crossing her face. He squinted slightly, hoping she’d read his if you say one word I’ll snap your Keyblade with my bare hands thoughts.  


“Anyway, I came to tell you guys that dinner’s ready,” Hanna said.  


“You left Sora alone in the kitchen?” Kairi blinked.  


“Yeah, I mean everything’s--I do smell something burning. Damnit.”

X X X

Hanna shoved the pizza boxes down into the trash can. All around the yard, crickets were chirping, and fireflies were beginning to rise. A full moon hung high in the night sky, illuminating the house almost ethereally. She could see Kairi and Sora through the glass patio doors, washing dishes and laughing like no time had passed between them. The sight made her happy. Truly, it did.  


So why was she miserable?  


She looked up at the second story. One of the guest bedroom’s curtains were drawn. She could see a man’s shadow pacing back and forth, as restless as she felt inside. Riku.  


Hanna sighed, taking a final look at the moon before returning to the kitchen. Why was he acting so...distant? Sora seemed like his usual goofy self, immediately offering to pay for pizza delivery when they had seen the horror he had wrought on the oven. Of course, he quickly remembered he was broke, and Kairi and Hanna had bought the pizzas themselves. Classic Sora.  


But Riku had mostly been silent since their reunion on the beach. At dinner, he’d nodded, and laughed occasionally, but Sora had done most of the talking. Especially when it came to Hanna: every question she’d asked, or story she’d told, or anything she’d said, really, had been met by silence from Riku. Then after dinner, when they’d discussed staying up to talk or watch a movie, he’d quietly excused himself to his room. His guest room, Hanna corrected herself internally, shaking her head. Riku clearly wanted nothing to do with her, and any hope of him staying in their house had been dashed. Would Sora stay without Riku? Especially when he learned of Kairi’s plan? No, she realized. He would not.  


Kairi’s laughter broke Hanna from her spiraling as she slid open the patio door. At least Kairi and Sora seemed genuinely happy, and they certainly deserved it.  
“Do you still want to watch something?” Kairi asked, smiling.  


Hanna couldn’t help but return the smile, despite how she felt inside, “You guys go on without me, I’m exhausted.”  


Kairi and Hanna shared a look. Sora, ever oblivious, smiled, “Get some sleep, Bananas.”  


Hanna felt a breath choke in her throat, “You remember that?”  


“Of course I remember. I called you Bananas forever until you corrected me,” he shyly scratched his cheek.  


“Hanna, Banana, you were close for a five year old,” Kairi squeezed his shoulder.  


“Yeah but I did it until I was seven.”  


“That story will never stop being cute,” Kairi chuckled.  


“Agreed,” Hanna pulled him into a hug. He blushed, but hugged her back anyway, “I’m so glad you’re home, Sora.”  


“Glad to be here. And thanks for letting us stay the night,” he pulled back, nervously rubbing the back of his neck, “I’m not quite ready to face my parents. Especially my mom,”  


The girls laughed, but part of Hanna was still thinking about Riku. His parents had already been hard to deal with before their son went missing all those years ago. She and Kairi had made efforts to spend time with the boys’ families as often as they could, and it seemed to help Sora’s parents deal with their grief...but Riku’s parents had been a different story. His mother had given up hope long ago that her son was even alive, and his father was just...quiet. Angry. Cold, like always. She could only imagine what that reunion would look like.  


Hanna grabbed the electric kettle from the counter by the sink, along with two mugs and a couple of bags of chamomile tea. “Well you two have fun tonight. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”  


Sora’s face turned bright red, but Kairi just rolled her eyes, “That’s, like, nothing Hanna.”  


Hanna winked and walked away, leaving her two embarrassed friends to their evening.

X X X

She didn’t have a plan per say, or expectations. She couldn’t even decide if she WANTED to see Riku. She just wanted to sit in her room and relax with some tea and television. Maybe she would actually sleep for once, or sleep without nightmares. But she also knew she’d be restless until she could get to the bottom of this Riku business. So, she made herself comfortable on her balcony, a blanket draped over her lap and a cup of tea clasped between her hands, and waited.  


The last time they’d sat on a balcony together was the night of The Storm. The night everything had changed. Riku had appeared on her balcony as the clouds swirled overhead, talking about things she didn’t understand, things about doors and darkness. He’d tried to convince her to go with him to their island, but she was scared. She wanted to wait until morning, like they had planned.  


The raft.  


She shook her head of the memory. No point in dwelling on the past. The Islands were safe, the boys were home. Kairi was home, for a little while longer, at least. She sipped her tea and glanced at Riku’s side of the balcony. As if on cue, his door slid open. She couldn’t help but stare: seeing him again, like this, was a dream. He looked around, taking in the white string lights Hanna had woven around the posts and railings. She’d hoped that lighting them tonight would draw him out. Still know him too well, she thought with a small smile.  


“Hey,” she said softly.  


He followed the lights to where she sat. A tray of candles flickered on the small table beside her, casting warm shadows across her face. He shivered. “Hey yourself.”  


“Care to join me? The stars are incredible tonight”  


He looked at the empty chair, hesitated. “Sure.” Her smile practically glowed. She draped part of her blanket over his lap as he sat, and quickly offered him a mug of tea. “Was this planned?”  


“Not planned, but hoped for. It’s always nice to have company.”  


He nodded, watching her from the corner of his eye. The way she pressed the mug against her lips was tantalizing. He didn’t know how long he could keep his cool. Especially when she kept staring at him. “What?”  


“Nothing,” she smiled, looking back up at the night sky, “I’m just glad you’re here.” They sat in silence for a while. Riku thought the tension was ebbing, but then she spoke. “I was hoping we might talk.”  


“About what?” he sipped his tea, trying not to look at her.  


“About...whatever it is that’s made you so distant from me.”  


“I’ve been gone a long time, Hanna,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady.  


“I know…” her voice dropped to a whisper and instantly he regretted everything, “but this is different. You’re here, but you still feel far away. Why is that?” He could feel her shifting under the blanket, curling her knees up to her chest. “I know you’ve been through a lot. You don’t have to talk to me about it. I just hope you know you could, if you wanted.”  


She reached a tentative hand over to gently press against his, and he quickly pulled away to drink his tea. She withdrew slowly, resting her hands in her lap.  


“I guess I just thought…” He looked over at her. She was wrestling with something, he could see it in her eyes. She bit her lip, then softly, “I thought things might be different when you came back. After...how we left things. If you remember.”  


“I remember,” his throat suddenly felt dry. He lifted his mug, but it was empty.  


“That was my first kiss…” she whispered, but it felt like a scream.  


Riku blinked, and he was back in that moment, standing on Hanna’s balcony at her parent’s house during a storm he thought he could conquer. She had looked so small, so fragile. He needed to protect her. Swore he would protect her.  


The sound of pouring water brought him back to reality. She’s making herself more tea. How long had he been silent? She leaned back in her chair and looked up at the sky. He looked up with her.  


“Do you regret it?”  


He shook his head, then realized she wasn’t looking at him. “I regret a lot of things, but that isn’t one of them.”  


“What do you regret, then?”  


He’s back on her parent’s balcony. They’ve pulled away from their kiss, blushing. He smirks, why was he such a cocky asshole? He looks out toward the Island where the clouds are gathering. He grabs her hand, tries to lead her away. She let’s go. Says no.  


“That night? I regret leaving you behind.”  


She does look at him, then. She wasn’t expecting an answer, much less such an honest one. How much had he changed? “Whatever happened since then,” she said slowly, “doesn’t change how I felt about you. How I feel.”  


He gripped the mug too tightly, “I’m not the same person I was then.”  


“But you’re still YOU,” she shook her head. She didn’t want to be frustrated, but she was.  


“I’ve done a lot of things, Hanna. Terrible things.”  


“That doesn’t matter--”  


He stood before she could try and touch him again, firmly setting his mug on the table. He walked to the railing and looked over the edge, trying to control the anger welling-up inside him, “Yes, it does. It has to.”  


“I can’t judge you until you tell me what you did.”  


“Exactly.”  


She sighed, sat her own mug down. Slowly, she approached, placing a gentle hand on his taut shoulder. He stiffened, but didn’t pull away, “You’re still my knight, my dragonslayer. Remember? You AND Sora were the heroes. In every game of pretend we played, you were my hero. You still are.”  


He shook his head, slammed his fist on the railing, “I’m not a hero! Don’t you get that?”  


She threw her hands up, finally exhausted with his angsty bullshit, “What am I supposed to get? You won’t tell me anything! No one will tell me anything! I wasn’t there for any of it, not a single second.”  


He was flustered for a moment. The Hanna he knew was as patient as they come, always slow to anger. This Hanna seemed like a force to be reckoned with.  


“Please, just...come home. Please, Riku.”  


He couldn’t look at her. “I wanted this to be easy. I wanted things to just...go back to how they were. But that’s not possible. I know, now. I don’t deserve to come home.”  


She shoved his shoulder, eyes brimming with angry tears. He stumbled, wide eyed from her fury, “How can you say that to me! I waited YEARS for you to come home. I WAITED, Riku.”  


He didn’t know what to say. She waited for an answer, but he turned and looked back at the sea. He felt lost all over again, just like all of the time he spent wandering alone in the Darkness.  


“I never gave up on you and Sora. When everyone else forgot, I remembered. It was just me and Kairi all alone with the ghosts of you. And then Kairi was gone again, and still, I waited. She came back alone, and we waited. She wanted to give up.”  


She hoped that would elicit some reaction from the stoic man, but he said nothing.  


“While you were gone, while you and Sora were off on your grand adventure to see new worlds, was I even on your list? Was I on the list of people you missed, people you wanted to save? Did you think about me even once?”  


Still, he said nothing. He was a statue,  


“I can’t wait for you anymore.” The words slipped out of her mouth without warning, but she knew immediately that they were true. She couldn’t keep waiting, not even with him so close. She turned away, her heart freezing over with every passing second. She picked hastily blew out the candles and picked up her mug, fully prepared to leave the blanket and everything else behind as she fled to her room.  


He grabbed her wrist with lightning reflexes and yanked her to him. She stumbled into his chest and he captured her with his arms, holding her tightly to him. The mug fell from her fingers and shattered against the wooden floorboards. Riku leaned in to press his forehead against hers, and Hanna saw fire in his eyes.  


“Don’t,” his voice would have been commanding if not for the slight shake. His breathing was strained, but Hanna couldn’t tell if it was from anger or something...else. She pressed her hands against his collarbone, trying to create some space between them.  


“Give me one reason why I should stay,” he could hear the challenge in her tone and it woke up that darkness that had been bothering him all night.  


Desire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bless you for reading this, you gorgeous reader, you. *throws confetti* I hope you enjoyed it. And who knows? Maybe there'll be some smutty goodness in the next chapter. ; ) Much love to anyone following this story. Comments and Kudos are always welcome, and definitely encourage me to keep going. See you next week (if not sooner)! xoxo


	3. Waiting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things heat up between Hanna and Riku.
> 
> Or, In Which Two Friends Come Together for a Moment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE! Here's a super extra early chapter I couldn't wait to post (although now the next chapter will probably come late *shrugs* oh well, "No Ragrats"). No lemon just yet, but we get pretty close! I promise there will be PLENTY of smutty goodness as this tale weaves on. For now, enjoy.~

### Waiting

This was not the chaste kiss they’d shared as children.

There was nothing innocent about it. Riku held Hanna so tightly she could feel every muscle of his body through the thin white t-shirt, and he, in turn, could feel her every curve with a clarity that left him breathless. Their lips were frantic, desperate, like they thought they could make up for the lost years with every contact. Her hands found their way into his hair and she swore he purred as her fingers tangled in the newly-shortened locks. His hands massaged her back, one of them dropping down to rub the lower part of her spine.

She broke the kiss and pressed her forehead against his again, trying to catch her breath and collect her thoughts, “What are we doing?” she chuckled.  


His eyes bore into hers, “Something I’ve been thinking about for too damn long.” He captured her lips again, drawing a moan from her that sent chills up and down his spine, “Trust me?” he mumbled against her lips.  


“Always,” she gasped.  


In a fluid motion he picked her up and swung her around to sit on the balcony, eliciting a squeak from her that had him smirking into their kiss. “Hold me like you did on the beach,” he said, not quite commanding but also leaving no room for argument.  


Not like she wanted to argue, anyway. She was all too eager to wrap her legs around his delicious waist and pull him in even closer, and from what she could feel, he was pretty “eager” himself.  


“Sorry,” he grunted, pulling away slightly.  


She immediately pulled him back to her, “Don’t you dare,” she smirked against his lips. Her hands wandered against his skin, trailing delicate patterns across his strong arms. He groaned and gripped the back of her head with desperate fingers. His other hand moved tentatively, sliding down almost painfully slow to rest on her behind. She moaned, moving against him ever so slightly, but to Riku it felt like lighting a match. He dug his fingers into her ass cheek and dipped her back slightly, all but holding her over the edge. He couldn’t believe she wanted this as badly as he did. It didn’t seem possible, like some far off dream. But here she was, moaning and fitting against him in ways he’d never been able to imagine.  


“You still wondering if I missed you?” he grunted.  


She responded by trailing soft kisses down to his neck, gripping his shoulder tightly with her hand. He hissed and accidently bumped his hips against her. She gasped, gripping him tighter.  


“You never left my mind,” he continued, clutching her to him as tightly as he dared, “I didn’t know if you’d made it off the island. When I found out you hadn’t…”  


She returned to his lips briefly, peppering him with sweet kisses, “I’m right here, I’m safe,” she whispered.  


“Damn right you are,” he kissed her back hard, possessively. She managed to nuzzle back to his neck, continuing her conquest. “Thought about you all the time. Didn’t know how to deal with it. But then Sora saved the day. He saved the Islands...saved you…”  


“Jealous?” she whispered against his Adam’s apple.  


He sucked in air through gritted teeth. She lightly ran her tongue against the spot, and he could feel his remaining self control falling away. He slipped his hand under her shorts, palming her ass with a growl, “Not anymore,” he felt her smile against his throat, “Couldn’t stop thinking about you. Everyday, every night. Especially every night.” He intentionally ground himself against her, his desire driving him on to a place he was afraid he couldn’t turn back from.  


She gasped, instinctively rolling her hips in response.  


“Tried to imagine what you looked like,” he continued, “how tall you were, if your voice had changed, what your…” he trailed off, catching himself before he admitted anything too scandalous. From the feel of her lips smiling against his neck, however, he was pretty sure she understood.  


“Thought about you, too,” she said softly, pressing a long, languid kiss against his jaw.  


“Tell me,” he captured her lips gently, but firmly. His hand slid from her hair to rest on her shoulder, his arm wrapping around to cradle her, “Show me.”  


He gasped at the sudden sensation of her tongue against his lips, and she used it to her advantage and deepened the kiss. He groaned at the sensation of her tongue rubbing against his, and groaned again when she pulled away, lightly catching his bottom lip with her teeth. “Trust me?”  


He smirked, “Always.”  


She gently pushed his chest away with her hand, carefully unwrapping her legs from his waist. He frowned, but gave her space to put her feet on the deck. She smiled up at him and reached for his hand, intertwining their fingers. Slowly, she led him past the broken mug and to her door.  


He held his breath as they entered her room. Was this real? Was he actually here, with her, being led toward her bed? Surely this was just another one of his embarrassing dreams, and soon he’d wake up, sweating and alone. She squeezed his hand, as though reading his thoughts, and turned to face him again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he quickly wrapped his own around her waist, bringing their bodies back together.  


“Riku,” she whispered with a smile.  


He rested his forehead against hers, watching her eyes intently.  


“Come to bed with me.”  


He inhaled sharply, struggling internally to not throw her down and ravish her on the floor, “You don’t know what you’re asking.”  


“I wasn’t asking.”  


She stepped back, still tangled in his arms, and he followed slowly. Her legs bumped against the foot of the bed. They stared at each other for a moment, looking for any signs of uncertainty on either of their faces.  


“We don’t have to do more than we already have,” she said, studying the conflict in his eyes, “but I don’t want to be away from you tonight. I want you, but more than anything else, I want to be WITH you.”  


He exhaled. Without breaking eye contact, he slowly lowered her onto the bed. She bit her lip and he was quick to press soft kisses to it. Their kisses built up, quickly turning heated once again. She wrapped her legs around him and he carefully moved her up to the pillows, never once breaking their kiss. She moaned into his mouth as they settled into the mattress, and when she started to lay her legs down, he quickly grabbed one of her thighs and held her in place.  


“What did you think about?” he asked, his voice deep and husky with want.  


“You, hovering over me just like this,” she whispered, tightening her leg around his waist and bringing their hips flush together.  


“And what would I do then, exactly?” he smirked. He wanted her to say it, to beg for him.  


“You’d kiss me, deeply and desperately, and slowly we’d…” she trailed off. She moved so gently he wasn’t even sure it was actually happening at first, but slowly, deliberately, she ground her hips against him. Her eyes were half-lidded but he could see the mischief in them. She was driving him crazy, and she knew it.  


Two could play that game, he thought with a smirk, “Tell me, Hanna.” He stayed perfectly still, using every bit of his remaining strength to keep himself from her.  


She frowned, biting her lip.  


He leaned in, bringing his lips to her ear, “Tell me, baby…”  


She moaned and clutched his shoulder. “You’d, um…”  


“I want to hear you say it, beautiful girl. Tell me what you fantasized about.”  


“You’d...grind into me--” she gasped as he gave a single, long thrust against her.  


“Keep talking…”  


“You’d...hump me into my bed.”  


He ground into her again, pulling back this time to watch her reaction. She was biting her lip, her eyes rolled back as she let out a soft moan. He lost control for a second and thrust hard into her, causing them both to moan.  


“What else?” he managed through gritted teeth.  


“Oh you’d...god you’d dry hump me and you’d t-touch me everywhere,” he started thrusting against her repetitively, getting a rhythm she was struggling to think through.  


“Over or under your clothes?”  


“Over, at first.”  


He brushed his hand up and down her thigh with each thrust, trying to hold back his moans. Slowly he brought his hand up over her hip, onto her stomach, trailing his fingers up to her chest. He realized, suddenly, that he was nervous for this.  


“Is that what you want?” He whispered, staring into her eyes.  


Hanna shuddered and gripped his waist like a vice. She moved her hands from his neck to his cheeks, slowly bringing their faces together in a gentle kiss, “Please…” she begged against his mouth.  


He moaned and traced his fingers against her breast, the feel of her soft cotton shirt nearly sending him over the edge. He caressed her heaving chest with one hand, the other tangling in her hair in an attempt to bring her even closer. She ground her hips in encouragement and he gasped at the friction. His caress turned into a massage as he continued grinding his hips against her. He felt like he might explode: the room was starting to spin.  


She moved her lips back to his neck and nibbled on his throat, writhing beneath him until he moaned her name. “This was what I imagined,” she groaned, “Baby I--”  


He pinned her hands to the bed, suddenly ceasing all movement. Her eyes widened.  


“We have to stop,” he muttered. His eyes were dark, his breathing labored.  


“What’s wrong?” she asked, voice shaking.  


“This is all just…” he sighed. She moved her legs and he sat back, still staring at her intently, “we’re moving so fast, Hanna.”  


She scoffed, “How many years have we been waiting for this, exactly?”  


He shook his head, “Not the point. I just got back and we’re...this.”  


“Do you not want--”  


He kissed her hard. “Don’t you ever doubt how much I want you again,” he muttered, pulling back to hover over her again, “But all good things to those who wait.”  


She rolled her eyes, but he could see that she wasn’t too upset. “Don’t you think I’ve waiting long enough?”  


“You have, Hanna. You definitely have. But I’m the one who needs to wait longer. I’m not ready for...you. I’m not a good enough person for you, yet.”  


The sudden sadness in his eyes took her aback, “Riku…”  


He started to pull away, but this time she caught his wrist.  


“Where are you going?” She asked, sitting up.  


“Back to my room.”  


She shook her head, “Please, please stay. I told you that’s what I wanted. I need you to be here when I wake up…”  


He sighed. He knew he couldn’t deny her, not when she sounded so afraid, “I’ll stay,” he agreed, “but I’m going to have to...take care of something, first.”  


Was he blushing?  


“Of course,” she smiled softly.

X X X

When he emerged from her bathroom, he was surprised to see Hanna sitting up in bed and looking rather jovial. She had turned one of her lamps on and was focused on her television, scrolling through movies on a streaming service. She smiled at him.  


“Hey.”  


“Hey yourself,” she answered.  


He smirked. “What’s up?”  


“I thought maybe we could watch a movie until we fell asleep. Thought it might make things less...awkward.”  


“You feel awkward?” he asked, slowly approaching the bed.  


She quickly shook her head, “Not even a little, unless you…?”  


He smiled, shaking his head. “No. Of course not.”  


She smiled and patted the spot beside her. He lifted the covers and slid in, a bit nervous to share space with her again. He laid back on the pillows, his arms crossed behind his head, and tried to relax.  


“Good. Because that was kind of awesome.”  


“Kind of?” he scoffed.  


She rolled her eyes, “Yes, okay, obviously it was definitely awesome.” she swatted at his shoulder and he quickly wrapped his arm around her, pulling her onto her back with a yelp.  


“What do you want to watch?” he asked nonchalantly, enjoying keeping her on her toes for once.  


She blushed, but snuggled into his side all the same, “Something funny, I think. Something we don’t have to focus on. We probably SHOULD sleep at some point, tonight.”  


He laughed, rubbing gentle patterns on her shoulder with his thumb. Despite feeling like everything was moving too fast, he also felt like this was all so...natural. Simple. He knew that Hanna would have been well within her rights to be angry at him for stopping their...activities...earlier. But she wasn’t. In fact she’d begged him to stay with her.  


He shook his head. Was this really so surprising? Hanna had been regularly blowing him away since they were kids. Why would this be any different?  


“I still can’t believe you’re here.”  


He turned his head. She’d spoken so softly, he thought maybe he’d imagined it. But then he noticed her biting her lip. Riku pressed a finger to her chin and slowly turned her head to face him. He kissed her gently, savoring the feel of each brush of her lips against his. He stroked her bottom lip with his tongue, caressing his hand against her chin to cup her face. “Believe it, because I’m here to stay,” he said when he finally pulled back.  


She nodded, slowly opening her eyes, “You sure you’re not ready for me?”  


He smirked, “Unfortunately.”  


“Alright,” she sighed, “but if you keep kissing me like that, I’m gonna have a hard time believing you.”  


He chuckled, forcing himself to look away from her and back to the TV, “So, something funny to fall asleep to. Thoughts?”  


Hanna swallowed, trying not to jump him. He looked so perfect with his hair all tousled and his eyes half-lidded. Like a model. How many times had she fantasized seeing him like that in her bed? Too many, she thought. She looked at the TV, “I have a couple ideas. Shrek is probably the top of the list.”  


“What’s a Shrek?”  


She froze, staring at him wide-eyed, “You’ve never seen Shrek?”  


He raised his eyebrows. She moved away from him and sat-up, a look of deep concern across her face, “Wait wait wait. HOW is that possible?”  


He shrugged, “It’s not like I’ve had a lot of free time.”  


She shook her head, mouth slightly agape, “I...I don’t know what to say. I feel like we have to watch it. Like, right now.”  


He scoffed, “Is it that good?”  


Hanna covered her heart with her hand, “I don’t even know how to answer that. I...I have an obligation now, as a living person, to show you this movie.” Riku just laughed and shook his head. She looked at the movie length and grimaced, “Ooh, hour and a half. Yikes.”  


“What?” he asked. He carefully wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her back down to him, laying her head on his chest. He’d never been one for physical intimacy, but Hanna had always been the exception. Mostly because she came from a “hugging family,” and had spent most of their childhood forcing hugs upon him and everyone else she knew. Sora and Kairi had never minded, but it used to drive him crazy. Things changed as they grew, though. He found that he kind of liked it when she’d get scared and reach for his hand--HIS hand, not Sora’s--or when he’d do something impressive and she’d give him the tightest hugs.  


“It’s just that it’s getting pretty late. I doubt we’d finish it before falling asleep.”  


“So it’s a movie you’d want me to actively watch.”  


She rolled her eyes, “Obviously. I mean, it’s your first time watching Shrek. Huh...”  


Hanna stopped suddenly, a playful smile appearing on her face. “What?”  


“Nothing, except...well, it looks like I’m taking your virginity after all.”  


He couldn’t help but laugh at that. She grinned up at him, snuggling closer. The feeling of her warm little body relaxing into him was soothing, but also exciting. “You tired?”  


She hummed, shrugging, “Not really. But I’m also kind of nocturnal. Kairi pretty much drags me out of bed every morning,” she said with a chuckle.  


“Night owl, huh? Me too.” he pulled her in even closer. After spending so much time away from her, not knowing if she was even alive, much less if he’d ever see her again, he couldn’t help but crave her touches. He’d spent too many nights lingering on their kiss, on their last embrace. Now, she was here. Within reach. And introversion be damned, he was going to cuddle the shit out of her. “I say we watch it.”  


“You’re not tired?” she asked.  


She had the cutest look on her face, like she was trying to hold back how excited she was, while also being concerned for his well-being. He’d missed that look. He lightly ran his thumb over her lips. “No, I’m not,” he said before tipping her chin up to kiss her.  


He’d meant for the kiss to be relatively mild, but then she hummed in pleasure and he couldn’t help but slip his tongue past her lips. She moaned and rested her hand on his chest, and he was quick to rest his hand on top of her own. Their tongues wrestled for a while and he briefly considered climbing on top of her and saying to hell with it all but, just as suddenly as the kiss had started, she pulled away.  


“Sorry,” she whispered. He tried to reach for her face and pull her back in, but she just moved farther away. “We should...calm down.”  


“Did I do something?” he felt a stab of fear in his heart. Had he forced himself on her? Had he taken advantage in some way?  


She quickly shook her head, “No, you’re fine honey,” he tried not to blush at the endearment, “But if you’re going to set boundaries, I need to do the same. It’s not fair for you to get me...riled up...if you aren’t going to follow through.”  


“You could try being less kissable,” he said with a smirk, “but I understand. That’s fair.”  


Hanna rolled her eyes and settled back down onto his chest. She pulled the movie up on screen and looked up at him, “Ready to watch a masterpiece, troublemaker?”  


“Sure,” Riku kissed the top of her head. She let out a happy hum and pressed play.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These two are so much fun to write. Also, I stand by what Hanna says: Shrek is a masterpiece. Don't @ me. *ahem* I hope you enjoyed this sudden update. Thanks for reading, and for sticking with this story. See you (hopefully) on Monday! xoxoxo
> 
> P.S. Happy 16th Birthday, Kingdom Hearts!


	4. Waking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanna wakes-up to the reality of last night: the boys are home, and everything has changed. Secrets are kept, and consequences avoided.
> 
> Or, In Which Hanna has a Hickey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when I said this next chapter would be late?
> 
> Yep.
> 
> I know it's a short one, but don't worry! Next chapter will be MUCH longer and MUCH more interesting. I hope you enjoy this little bit of world building. Still no lemons, just a lil bit of lovin'. Thank you to everyone who has read this far.~

### Waking

Hanna didn’t wake up to her alarm. Apparently, she’d forgotten to set one at all, she realized when she woke to a sunlight-filled bedroom. Sunlight and a warm body, that is.  


The last thing Hanna remembered from that night was hearing Riku laugh at Donkey and Shrek before they “objected” at the wedding. By then, she was already pretty exhausted, and his light chuckles were like a lullaby. He must have turned off the light and the television at some point, and taken off his shirt as well. He was curled on his side facing her, an arm thrown around her waist, and their legs were deliciously tangled. Now THIS she could get used to, she thought with a smile.  


Her smile quickly turned into a frown when she realized just how late she had slept in. Her phone didn’t pull any punches: it was well after ten. She sighed. Kairi would most likely be upset, especially if she found out that the reason was...Riku. Hanna looked at the sleeping boy beside her. Man, she corrected herself. He’d stopped being a child a long time ago. They all had. Now that his chest was bare, she could see that he had scars.  


She sat up slowly, still tangled in his limbs, and thought back to last night. He HAD opened up about his feelings toward her, but that was it. They never did quite get around to talking about the past few years of his life. Even when he had brought up once again that he wasn’t “a good person,” she hadn’t pressed. Why hadn’t she said something? Why didn’t she push back?  


He gripped her tighter in his sleep. Ah, yes. That was why. Because she wanted to make him happy, she reminded herself. He’d made it clear that he wasn’t ready to talk, and if she pushed any harder, he might have left. But had he only been intimate with her to shut her up?  


She shook her head, stroking his hair with her hand. Riku wasn’t that kind of man. Even if he didn’t think so, she knew he was a good person. When he was ready to talk, he would.  


In the meantime, Hanna had work to do. She carefully slipped her leg out from in between his and tried to scoot to the edge of the bed. He grunted, his face scrunching up, and she froze. He blinked his striking seafoam eyes open and slowly took in his surroundings.  


“Hanna?” he rasped.  


“Good morning,” she whispered, smiling.  


“Morning...what time is it?”  


“After ten. We slept in.”  


Riku groaned and rubbed his eyes, “How am I still so tired?”  


“We did stay up pretty late. Plus, when was the last time you actually had a good night of sleep?”  


“Years ago,” he yawned.  


Hanna patted his hand, “Rest a little longer,” she said, pulling away to finally get out of bed.  


“Where are you going?” he asked with a frown. A very handsome frown. Hanna groaned internally. How was she physically capable of walking away from him?  


“I’m super late for my morning run with Kairi. Honestly, I’m surprised she hasn’t kicked the door down yet.” Hanna stood and gradually bent over to touch her toes. Her whole body cracked generously.  


“Damn…”  


Hanna straightened a bit and looked back at Riku. He was staring attentively at her ass. She smirked through her blush and straightened completely, bringing her arms up high over her head in a full body stretch that made her toes curl.  


“You sure you can’t stay?” he asked, his voice dark with sleep and something else. He was staring at her still, and although she couldn’t see what his hands were doing under the blankets, she had a pretty good idea.  


“Yes, troublemaker. I’m sure.” She walked to her dresser and pulled out a fresh pair of leggings, “Kairi and I have a standing morning jog date, and missing it would mean invoking her wrath. And that girl is SCARY strong.” Hanna dug through her dresser until she found a sports bra and a top, “Plus, I should probably get some actual work done. And the garden needs watering. And...damn. I can’t believe I slept in.” She snagged her phone from her bedside table and sent Kairi a quick text.  


  
H  


Hey sorry I overslept. Be down soon.  


She hurried to the bathroom and tried to get through her morning routine without thinking too much about the gorgeous man laying in her bed. This proved to be difficult, however, when she finally got her hair pulled back in a decent ponytail and looked in the mirror. She gasped, eyes wide, and ran her fingers lightly across her neck.  


“Um, Riku?” she called, stepping out of the bathroom.  


He hummed and propped himself up to look at her.  


“We have a small problem.” Hanna walked to his side of the bed and leaned in slightly, “Actually, it’s pretty big.”  


“Oh. Shit.” He reached up and gently ran his fingers over the large hickey.  


“Yeah. Not ideal.”  


“Can you cover it with makeup or something?”  


“I don’t wear makeup.”  


He raised his eyebrows, “Seriously?”  


She nodded.  


“Damn.” He cupped her face and pulled her down for a deep kiss. She moaned, then giggled and pulled away.  


“Nope! I’m not falling for your trap. I HAVE to go,” she gave him a peck on the nose and retreated to the other side of the room. Riku sighed and scooched back down into the covers.  


She managed to find a hoodie in her closet and slipped it on, checking in the mirror to make sure it covered the blemish, “This will work for now, and hopefully my hair will cover it later. Otherwise we’ll have some explaining to do.” Hanna checked her phone: still no messages from Kairi. Weird.  


“I doubt Kairi would be a jerk to you about it.”  


“Oh I know. If anything she’d be really excited. It’s you I’m worried about. She and Sora would absolutely ridicule you.” She slipped her phone into her pocket and grabbed her headphones from her desk. “Ok, I’m off.” She turned to look at him and immediately regretted it. He looked so...ethereal. Like an angel that had fallen from the sky and landed perfectly in her bed. He noticed her noticing and smirked. He opened his mouth to say something but she held up her hand.  


“Yes, I’m sure I have to leave. Believe me, I’m already regretting it.”  


He laughed and held up his hands in defeat, “Fine, fine.”  


“I’ll see you in a bit,” she said, convincing herself to actually leave, “Probably, like, an hour or so. Think about what you want for lunch.”  


He nodded. Hanna lingered by the door. They stared at each other across the room. She saw him shift, like he was about to get up. Maybe he would kiss her goodbye, or say something romantic. No, she thought. He was right. They needed to slow down. If he really wasn’t ready, then she needed to keep him honest. God forbid they did something he’d regret.  


“See you,” she said quickly, shutting the door behind her.

X X X

Apparently Sora and Kairi’s movie night had also taken a romantic turn, considering the way they were spooning together on the couch. Sora’s arms were wrapped around Kairi, one cradling her head and the other wrapped around her waist--their fingers intertwined against her stomach. It took all of Hanna’s strength not to burst into a fit of giggles at the sight: not for any negative reason, just because they were so stinking adorable. She looked away from the cute scene to the television. The DVD menu for Kung-Fu Panda was silently playing, and Hanna wondered how much of the movie they’d gotten through before they collapsed into each other. She smiled at the thought. She pulled a blanket from the back of an armchair and gently laid it over her sleeping friends, but Kairi began to stir.  


“Hey Queenie,” Hanna whispered, crouching to Kairi’s eye level.  


Kairi scrunched her forehead and groaned, confused. She slowly blinked her eyes open and took in her surroundings. She tried to sit up, then froze. Sora hummed and continued slumbering, squeezing her hand softly. She locked eyes with Hanna, eyebrows raised in a silent question.  


Hanna smiled, “Go back to sleep, Kai. We’ll talk later.”  


Kairi seemed to think for a moment, then nodded and closed her eyes. Hanna affectionately brushed a lock of hair from her roommate’s forehead and turned off the TV, exiting as quietly as she came.

X X X

As she rowed to the Main Island, Hanna couldn’t help but ponder the irony of her day so far. In spite of feeling nervous to see Kairi, she’d actually been excited to exercise together--as much as she loved her best friend, exercise was seldom something Hanna looked forward to. But she’d felt different, today. For the first time since The Islands had disappeared, she felt well-rested and energized. She wanted to ride that feeling, even if it meant having a difficult conversation with Kairi about what had transpired last night.  


Of course, all of that had been thrown out the window the minute Hanna walked downstairs and saw that the redhead was sound asleep and snuggled with Sora. Now, she was looking forward to talking to her about last night--maybe Kairi would be focused more on her own “adventure” and Hanna would walk away unscathed. Well, relatively unscathed, she thought to herself, running her fingers over the mark on her neck. She re-adjusted her hoodie and continued rowing.  


The Main Island looked as lively as ever when Hanna’s little boat bumped into the Docks. A few people were wandering about on the shore, preparing their fishing boats and chatting. She recognized Sora’s mother, Opal, and immediately panicked. The boys had made Hanna and Kairi promise not to tell anyone they’d returned, yet. They wanted to deliver the good news themselves, and they wanted to see their families, first. Sora’s mom was busy talking to the dockmaster, but what if she saw her? Worse, what if she asked about Sora? Hanna knew she couldn’t lie to Opal: she’d always been so kind, and she’d become like a mother to Kairi over the years. Even if she didn’t ask about Sora, even if she initiated a perfectly normal conversation about the paopu crop this month or overfishing on The Far East Island, how could Hanna NOT tell her that her son had returned?  


She hadn’t thought this through at all. What if she ran into Riku’s mother? His father? She shuddered at the thought, remembering the last time she and Kairi and gone to their home for dinner.  


Kairi had maintained a bright, cheerful exterior the whole night, illuminating their oppressive and dark home and filling their silence with her classic Kairi energy. Hanna always struggled to keep up at those weekly dinners--hiding emotions had never been her strong point, and her empathy often destroyed her. But Kairi, ever strong and determined, made those meals with Carolyn and Hakoda almost bearable.  


But that night, after they’d said their farewells to Riku’s mostly silent parents, Kairi had wept. The whole boat trip home, Kairi cried, and she didn’t stop until she’d made herself sick. Even after they’d docked on their island, she sat in the boat in a huddled mess, agonizing over what’d she’d seen in the window before they’d even entered his parents’ house: the candles were gone.  


It had taken Kairi days to recover from that night. Hanna had to talk her down from putting more candles in their windows--she was afraid Kairi would catch the house on fire. She understood, though. Knowing that Riku’s parents had given up on him returning home...it stabbed at her heart, even now that he was back.  


Hanna quickly tied-off her boat and grabbed her bag, trying to avoid catching anyone’s gaze. She managed to slink away from the Docks unnoticed, but she needed a plan if she wanted to get through her errands without being bothered. She arrived at the edge of town and pulled her headphones out of her bag. She was going on a run, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, I really just want to write, like, 80 stories about the Trio's parents. I hope we actually get to see them in KH3, especially Sora's poor sweet mama, who's been waiting for him to come home for dinner for a VERY long time. He's hella grounded for sure.
> 
> Writing about Destiny Islands has been a blast so far! It's fun to imagine what island life would be like there. I've been doing a lot of research into different islands and island nations, as well as various nautical things. I'll try to write explanations in these notes whenever something particularly interesting makes its way into the story.
> 
> For example, the whole "candle in the window" thing comes from an old nautical tradition where families of sailors lost at sea would leave candles in their windows, as a way of guiding the sailor home. Kind of like mini lighthouses. How sweet is that?
> 
> Anyway, I'm hoping to get a regular weekly upload schedule started, with updates every Monday, but we'll see. Work and life in general have been super hectic lately, and I doubt it'll slow down anytime soon. I promise that whenever the next chapter comes, it will be much longer and have more "exciting" events, at least. Thank you to everyone who's read this story and been following these chapter updates. I'd LOVE to hear from you, so please feel free to leave comments and questions! xoxoxo


	5. Worrying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our foursome tries to settle-in to their new life, but some changes come easier than others, and other changes just keep coming.
> 
> Or, In Which Everyone is Worried About Something

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when I said that the next chapter would be more interesting and have lots of stuff happening in it? And also that it would be on-time?
> 
> Yeah. Sorry. This chapter fought me every step of the way. I feel decent about how it turned out, but I'm sorry if it's a bit of a let-down. My problem is that I have so many BIG things planned out for future chapters, and I'm getting impatient. Like, I just want to get to the meat of the story and skip all the world building and such. But it's important...so here we are.
> 
> Also, note that the tags for this story have been updated. I decided to change a few things to reflect where the story is at so far. For example, I removed the tags about Axel and Vanitas, because we haven't seen them (yet). I'd hate for someone to come here JUST for one of those characters, and then be disappointed. But don't worry--we'll see them, soon!
> 
> Finally, a quick shout-out to phoenixmiko for leaving such lovely feedback. To answer your question, Hanna and Riku will remain a thing throughout the story, but there will definitely be some other pairings for her as well. Also, the bits of SoKai in this chapter were 100% for you. I hope you enjoy.
> 
> Without further adieu, here's Chapter 5.

### Worrying

Kairi woke to pounding on the door.  


She nearly fell off the couch at the sound, along with the sudden realization that she had massively overslept. Sora merely rolled over and buried his face in the back of the couch with a grunt. She would have rolled her eyes, if not for the continued pounding on the front door reminding her that she was pretty sure they were being robbed. Kairi tried summoning her Keyblade as she crouched and crept toward the door, but the damn thing never listened to her.  


“Crap…” she muttered, shaking her hand.  


The stairs creaked behind her and she whipped around. Riku had his Keyblade pointed at the door, his face focused and steely as he slowly approached. She reached her hand out to grab the handle, locking eyes with him. He nodded. Kairi took a deep breath, but before she could turn the doorknob--  


“Kairi let me in already! The icecream is melting!”  


Kairi gasped and threw the door open, revealing a mountain of grocery bags and Hanna struggling beneath them. Kairi lunged and managed to catch a handful of bags just as they started to fall from the stack. Riku immediately came forward and took a chunk of the bags, despite Hanna’s protests.  


“What the hell?” Kairi asked as she and Riku helped situate the bags amongst themselves. Hanna looked relieved.  


“I got a bit carried away with my errands,” she explained following them into the house. Riku closed the door behind her and followed the girls to the kitchen. They managed to get all of the bags onto the kitchen island and countertops, but only just barely, “I meant to do a bit of grocery shopping, check the mail, etcetera. But then I...well, I got so excited about you boys being back, that I kind of...planned a feast.”  


Kairi started pulling things out of the bags: tomatoes, garlic, baguettes, even a bottle of wine. Her eyes widened, “This is a really nice one.”  


Hanna shrugged, a slight blush on her cheeks, “I thought we should celebrate a little. Oh!” She dug around until she found a pint of Rocky Road ice cream.  


Riku felt a pang in his chest, “You remembered…”  


“Of course,” Hanna chuckled, but her tone was deep, “it’s your favorite.” She quickly shoved it into the freezer and set about storing the perishables, but she felt his eyes lingering on her for a moment longer.  


Kairi watched her friends interaction attentively. Their faces were both a bit pink, and they weren’t looking each other in the eyes, she noticed. When Hanna stretched her arms up to put a new bottle of olive oil above the fridge, Kairi caught of glimpse of what looked like a bruise on her neck. Kairi’s jaw dropped for a second, but she quickly recovered before they could notice. She tried her hardest to sort groceries without squealing.  


“What’s this?” The girls turned to Riku, who was pulling a black t-shirt out of a bag.  


“I thought I’d pick up a few things for you and Sora. To tide you over while you get...settled. I didn’t think it’d be good for you to see your parents in OUR clothes.” Hanna tucked a lock of hair behind her ear--she was nervous, Kairi realized with a small smile. “That bag’s yours. What do you think?”  


Riku pulled out a few other t-shirts in different colors, along with a pair of jeans, a black zip-up hoodie, and a pair of black sneakers. He could tell without even trying them on that they’d be a perfect fit. As he ran his hands over the material of the shoes, he felt a sudden tightness in his chest. This was all so...normal. He was standing in a kitchen, groceries were being unpacked into a refrigerator, dinner--a real meal, with plates and everything--was being discussed, and he was holding new clothes. Non-magical, non-combat clothes. Civvies, he thought almost humorously. Everything was so clean and bright: the sunlight poured through the large bay windows and swirled together with the incandescent light of the refrigerator and Riku closed his eyes, afraid he would drown.  


A hand on his shoulder snapped Riku back into clarity.  


“Your phone’s ringing, Kai.” Sora yawned, extending his hand past Riku. Kairi smiled and took the small pink device, though she frowned when she saw the screen.  


“Morning, sleepyhead,” Hanna smiled up at the boy as she finished filling the fridge. She glanced at Riku, who was refusing to look at anyone else.  


“Morning! Man, that’s the best sleep I’ve had in...forever.” Sora grinned sleepily and stretched his arms above his head. He leaned lazily against Riku, who swatted him away.  


“I should take this,” Kairi quickly excused herself and power-walked out of the room, also avoiding everyone’s eyes. Hanna watched her go, but she could guess who was on the other end of the call. Sora moved as if to follow her.  


“So, what are you boys up to today?” Hanna asked a bit too loudly.  


Sora turned back to her, grinning as always, “Dunno. I should probably go see my folks. Maybe walk around the island a bit. Go for a swim.”  


Hanna watched Riku silently put his new clothes back in the bag. “What about you, Riku?”  


“I’m gonna go train.”  


“Train?” Sora scrunched his nose, “C’mon Riku, we just got home! You should do something fun! Plus, the longer you wait to talk to your family-”  


“I need to clear my head.” Riku left the bag of clothes on the counter, ignoring the hurt and confusion that passed through Hanna’s eyes and the pout on Sora’s face. “Is my stuff in the laundry room?”  


Hanna nodded. Riku started toward the foyer, but Hanna stopped him. “Will you be home for dinner?” Hanna asked  


He paused in the doorway of the kitchen and looked at her ever so slightly over his shoulder. She blushed, realizing what she had said. “I’ll be back tonight.” He answered softly.  


She stared after him until she heard him walk upstairs. A rustling bag brought her attention back to Sora, who was rummaging through his own bag of new clothes.  


“Is this for me?” he asked, suddenly awake and seemingly unphased by all the weirdness passing between his friends.  


Classic Sora, Hanna thought with a small smile, “Sure is, honey. I wanted to make sure you had something nice to wear to see your mama.” She watched Sora excitedly dig through his bag, barely taking more than a few seconds to look at each item before throwing it onto the counter. He was bouncing a little and making adorable noises, and all at once, he was 8 years old again and unwrapping presents at their yearly Christmas party. She could smell the fireplace, the freshly iced cookies, hear Sora’s cat meowing in the corner--  


Oh. The cat.  


A sudden wave of emotion crashed over Hanna and she had to grip the counter to steady herself. Sora didn’t know yet, about what happened to Coconut two years ago. She had an obligation to tell him, she knew that, but it would be painful. And he looked so happy.  


Sora shoved his feet into his new pair of yellow sneakers and grinned ear to ear, “These are great!” he looked up at Hanna and started to thank her, but noticed the look on her face, “What’s wrong?”  


She startled, quickly wiping the escaped tears from her cheeks. She hadn’t realized she’d started crying. Sora reached out and gingerly cupped her face in with his hands, surprising them both. “I...you and Riku have been gone for so long. So much has changed,” she managed to whimper.  


Riku stopped at the bottom of the stairs, now dressed in his old white vest and baggy jeans. He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but Hanna’s sniffling gave him pause. He quietly looked around the corner into the kitchen and immediately regretted it. Hanna and Sora were standing dangerously close together, almost embracing. Riku clenched his fists, but he couldn’t look away.  


Sora shook his head, the grin returning, “But we’re all still friends, right? So we’ll get through it. Together, the four of us can get through anything.”  


Hanna nodded, eyes closed. Riku relaxed slightly and scolded himself. He didn’t want to be that person anymore: jealous, possessive. Angry. He wanted--no, NEEDED--to trust his friends. That’s what Hanna was: his friend. Last night hadn’t changed that. There was nothing to be jealous of, he thought to himself.  


“Did something happen?” Sora asked.  


Riku managed to pull his eyes away from the tender scene, but he couldn’t walk out the door.  


Hanna took a deep breath, opened her eyes. “I saw Opal, today. On the Mainland.”  


Sora pulled his hands away and took a step back, leaning against the counter.  


“I think you and Riku should go see your families. Today. But I’m...scared.”  


He raised his eyebrows, “Scared? What’re you scared of?”  


Riku waited with a hand on the front door for what felt like an eternity. Finally, Hanna explained, “While you boys were gone, your parents...they had a really hard time. Kairi and I tried to spend time with them whenever we could, like for dinners and stuff. But they were still hurt, of course. It probably felt like you two had…”  


Hanna didn’t need to finish for Sora and Riku to know exactly what she meant.  


“Your mom and dad were so brave, Sora,” Hanna continued, smiling a little, “Even when they were scared, they always looked out for Kai and me. Your mom even came prom dress shopping with us.”  


Sora couldn’t help but smile at that. It was no secret Opal had always wanted a daughter, and he could only imagine how excited she was when the girls invited her. He hoped there were photos.  


“I know they’ll be thrilled to see you. Absolutely they will,” Hanna nodded, then her smile fell, “But Carolyn and Hakoda…”  


Riku stiffened at the mention of his parents. As much as he hated to admit it, he was dreading seeing them again. He and his dad had never had a great relationship to begin with, and his mother…  


“They, um…” Hanna cleared her throat, fighting back more tears, “they had a really hard time. They aren’t in great shape, Sora. It’s bad.”  


Riku didn’t wait to hear the rest. He opened the front door as quietly as he could and snuck out, heading straight for the beach. His pulse was racing with every step, and he could feel Way to the Dawn beginning to manifest in his hand.  


Sora nodded solemnly, “Do you think I should go with him?”  


“I think that would be a good idea. I don’t know what he’ll find there.” Hanna shuddered, thinking again of the darkened windows and Kairi weeping in her boat, “I bet Kairi would give you guys a lift in her boat.”  


He cocked his head, “You’re not coming with?”  


“I need to get some work done,” Hanna explained, shaking her head. She hadn’t checked her e-mail in 24 hours, so she would inevitably be stuck in her office for most of the day. It was the last place she wanted to be now that the boys were home, but it couldn’t be helped. Work now, play later, she thought.  


“Okay, well, I guess I should go get my day started,” Sora stretched and looked up at the clock, “Is it seriously 1 o’clock already?”  


“Island time,” Hanna said, shrugging her shoulders playfully.  


Sora grinned, “Island time.”

X X X

Kairi was out of time.  


She sat on the foot of her bed, her eyes cast blankly at her phone. Words ran together in her head; unrest, coronation, one week, duty.  


Duty.  


Her fists clenched. How much had that word cost her already? Duty took Sora and Riku away for years. Duty kept her torn between words, between the place where she was born and the place where she lived her whole life. Duty made her silent, forced her to keep Sora and Riku’s whereabouts a secret from her friends, her family. Their families. Only Hanna had been allowed to know, though The King had never given a reason as to why.  


Hanna.  


Akuami, how was she supposed to tell Hanna she was leaving two weeks early? They had plans, they were going to throw parties and watch movies and run over every inch of their island. They were supposed to have more time. Kairi needed more time.  


She ran her fingers through her hair, elbows coming to rest on her knees. Hanna would understand. She knew that. Hanna would be upset, but she would understand. She would do whatever Kairi asked, help with whatever she needed. She’d refurbish the house on her own—they were supposed to do it together, to make the house more comfortable for Hanna to live alone, but now Hanna would have to do it by herself. She’d probably have to get another job, Kairi realized with a painful lurch in her stomach. There’s no way she’d have enough money saved to live comfortably, not on such short notice.  


She wouldn’t complain, though. She’d probably just smile and tell Kairi not to worry.  


Kairi sighed and brought her hands together, pressing her chin against her thumbs in thought. She’d tell Hanna tonight, she decided. As her roommate, she deserved as much notice as possible.  


A soft knock on the door.  


“Come in,” she called, almost managing to keep her voice steady.  


Sora’s brown spikes crept through the slowly opening door, followed by inquisitive blue eyes and lightly blushing cheeks, “Is this a bad time?”  


Kairi smiled and shook her head, but inside she was collapsing. Sora. How could she tell Sora?  


He walked cautiously into her room, his eyes wide as he looked around, “Wow,” he exhaled, “this is really nice.”  


She giggled despite herself, “Thank you.” Too bad she wouldn’t get to stay here much longer.  


He ran his hand over the framed photo by her closet, “What’s this from?”  


“Last year’s Summer Surf-Off. Hanna won.”  


“And you?”  


“Second,” Kairi grinned genuinely.  


Sora smiled and continued his journey around her room. He seemed to be looking everywhere but at her, like he was trying to keep his distance. She could tell from the way he was carrying himself that he was holding back a question.  


“Something on your mind?” She asked, beginning to collect herself.  


He took a deep breath and finally turned to face her. Kairi felt something catch in her throat at the sight of him, suddenly so real in her world. She’d waited for him to come home for such a long time, and now that he was here, she didn’t quite know what to do with herself. Her thoughts flashed back to last night, to the shy and gentle kiss he’d pressed against her lips when she’d gone to the kitchen for movie snacks. Wrapped in his arms, standing in the kitchen of her house, she’d never felt more at home. Whispered words from where they lay together on the couch came back to her now—forever, always, missed you, stay. And they had stayed together, just like he’d asked. “I have a favor to ask.”  


She smiled, but she was panicking inside, “Of course, what do you need?”  


“We’ve known each other a long time,” he said slowly, “and we’ve been through...a lot.”  


Kairi would have rolled her eyes, but she was too busy trying to figure out where this was headed. He looked so serious, moreso than she’d ever seen him.  


“I...I trust you more than anyone else. You’re my best friend, Kai.” He was right in front of her, now, getting impossibly closer, “Do you know...do you have any idea what you mean to me?”  


“I have some idea,” she meant for it to sound confident, maybe even a little flirtatious, but her voice betrayed her anxiety.  


“Everything, Kairi.” He looked her straight in the eyes and she froze, “You’re everything. And I...wow, okay, I’m nervous.” He chuckled, breaking the seriousness of the moment for a breath.  


Her hand shook as she reached for his arm. The way he was looking at her, his tone...what was he trying to say? It almost sounded like…  


He knelt down and gently took her hand. Everything started racing around her, Kairi felt like she might pass out. This was happening. It was insane and wonderful and it was happening and he opened his mouth and said, “Riku and I are going to see our parents today. I’m offering to go with him, cuz Hanna says I should, but I think...I think I need you to come with me. When I see my mom and dad, I mean.”  


The world ground to a halt.  


Oh.  


Kairi didn’t know whether to feel devastated or relieved. She chuckled nervously and squeezed his hand, “You want me to come with?”  


“Yeah, if you don’t mind. I think it’ll help ease the tension. Plus, I...well, honestly Kai, you give me...courage.”  


She had to smile at that. He was the sweetest boy in the whole world, and she loved him deeply, “Of course, Sora. Of course I’ll come.”  


He stood suddenly and caught her lips by surprise, his hands coming to rest on her cheeks as he kissed her slowly. She gasped and he pulled away, resting his forehead against hers, “Thank you.”  


“Always,” she whispered back. A lie.

X X X

Hanna blinked at her computer screen. Had she read that correctly? She fell back against her chair, mouth open slightly in shock. Planning the Okala was one thing—when Kairi’s adoptive father, the Mayor, had asked the girls to help plan the festivities, they had been thrilled and enthusiastic. But moving it up two weeks AND to their island?  


Hanna grabbed her binder and began frantically taking notes. They’d have to move fast if they wanted to make this work, and even then it might all fall apart. Performers would have to rehearse day and night, vendors would work overtime to prepare their food, and the rides would need to be completely refigured. Not impossible, but definitely not ideal.  


She quickly texted Kairi. Normally, she’d just go talk to the girl, walking straight into her room and sitting on the bed. But now that the boys were back, she felt...invasive, in a way. What if she walked in on her friends...doing something? She gagged at the thought, but she couldn’t be too upset by it. After all, just last night she and Riku had…  


Hanna shook the thought from her head. There was too much to do, and she had less than zero time to think about Riku. She typed a response to the Mayor, then immediately set about contacting the vendors and performers. She checked her phone every couple of minutes, but Kairi didn’t answer.  


They needed to get the boys phones, she thought. Then should just text Sora if she needed to get ahold of Kairi. She smirked to herself. Those two would most likely be inseparable from now on. She wondered if Sora would leave with Kairi, and if Riku would go along. Even if he didn’t, she doubted he’d stay on the Islands for long. As much as she and Kairi had hoped and dreamed that the boys would stay here, with them, in THEIR house, Hanna was also a realist. As children, they’d dreamt of leaving their Island. She doubted anything had changed. Plus, that dream had become moot a long time ago, back when Kairi decided to return to Radiant Garden.  


A princess returning to her kingdom. It was so poetic, Hanna wanted to puke. She was happy for Kairi, happy to see her returning to her people and starting a new phase in her life, but it was still shitty, and her brave face was crumbling. Kairi was a princess, Sora and Riku were knights, and Hanna? She didn’t know what she was. How she fit into their story.  


Whether she liked it or not, she’d built a life for herself, here. And most days she DID like it. Her house was beautiful, her dream home. The Islands were all she’d ever known, and they were spectacular. She had friends here, family. She had a job she enjoyed, working with Kairi as assistants to the Mayor. It was a good life. Simple, comfortable, and safe.  


In the deepest corner of her mind, she’d dreamt of sharing this life with Riku. What had started as a childhood crush had evolved, despite his absence. She’d been terrified when he’d returned that the Riku of her fantasies wouldn’t match up to reality. So far, he’d been even better than the boy in her head, but…  


Hanna sighed. She’d forgotten his wandering spirit. The real Riku was restless, always had been. How could she forget? He was restless, and reckless. All fire and flame, no hearth. Expecting him to settle down into a “normal” life had been silly. She knew it the minute she gave him new clothes. She pushed back her chair and walked to the window, slipping a hand into the curtains. She could see Riku swinging his Keyblade at imaginary enemies on the shore. The sunlight reflected off of his pale hair like a halo and she had to look away. No, he was too perfect to keep locked away in a domestic life. He was an adventurer. Hanna was just a girl.  


A girl with too much to do, she thought with a glimpse at her computer screen. E-mails were flooding in already, and she forced down the ache in her heart. She couldn’t sit around all day thinking about Riku, worrying about Riku. He’d go about his life and do whatever he wanted, she knew that. There was no point in worrying. He’d be okay.  


Riku was always okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was it worth the wait? I hope so. Kairi and Sora are a lot of fun to write. I didn't used to like Kairi when I was younger, but she and their pairing have really grown on me.
> 
> I'm sorry if this chapter kind of feels like filler. I really struggled with writing it, but I'm feeling like the next chapter will go much more smoothly for me.
> 
> I mentioned last chapter that I've been having fun writing about the Islands, and that I'm doing lots of research on different island cultures. I'll always try to explain the things I incorporate here in these notes, but if I forget, feel free to ask in the comments. One aspect I've been working on is thinking of different names for things, like volcanoes and festivals and such. I hesitate to say I'm building a "language", but I guess I kind of am. In this chapter, Kairi says, "Akuami," and Hanna mentions the "Okala". Akuami is a play off of the Hawaiian word "Akua" meaning "god," and is the name of both a volcano and a deity in my imagining of Destiny Islands. Also, apparently Akuami is the Indonesian word for Aqua. So that's fun. "Okala" comes from the Hawaiian phrase "o ka lā," which means "of the sun". So the Okala Festival is the Festival of the Sun. I'm having a bit too much fun making these words...
> 
> Thanks for sticking around to read this far. I really appreciate you all, especially those who leave kudos or comments, or subscribe. I still feel nervous posting these chapters, but I'm having a lot of fun, and I'm glad to be doing it. Here's hoping this next chapter goes better for me. xoxoxo


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